Xiaomi unveils Redmi 5 & Redmi 5 Plus with large 18:9 displays

As expected, the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Thursday introduced the new Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones at a press event in its home country. The new phones are entry-level models, which will succeed the company’s Redmi 4.

Keeping in mind the current trend of putting an 18:9 aspect ratio screen in every phone, Xiaomi has added the same aspect ratio display panels in both smartphones. The Redmi 5 has got a 5.7-inch 1440x720p screen and Redmi 5 Plus packs a 5.99-inch 2160x1080p screen. Among other specifications, the phones run on Android 7.1.2-based MIUI 9 operating system. These also include fingerprint sensor, dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE connectivity and IR blaster.

On the imaging front, both Redmi 5 and 5 Plus come with a 12MP rear shooter with dual-tone LED flash and a 5MP selfie camera with soft-LED flash.

In terms of the processor, the Redmi 5 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, while the Plus model packs Snapdragon 625. You can check out the detailed specifications of both phones later in the report.

Pricing and availability

According to Xiaomi, the Redmi 5 and 5 Plus will be available in China starting December 12. The Redmi 5 will be offered in two versions – one with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage and the other with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Similarly, the Redmi 5 Plus will also be available in two versions – one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and the other with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.